James Dorlin has been made a McLaren Automotive Development Driver and will race a McLaren 570S GT4 in 2019 after agreeing a deal with the legendary British manufacturer.

Full details of the BRDC Rising Star’s racing programme alongside new team-mates Jordan Collard, Josh Smith and Lewis Proctor will come to light in the coming weeks, with pre-season testing set to begin in the New Year.

Dorlin’s move to McLaren follows an exemplary season in the UK’s most competitive single-make tin-top series, the Renault UK Clio Cup, in which the Barnsley-based racer claimed an un-rivalled six victories, ten visits to the podium and a quartet of pole positions and fastest laps apiece.

The deal was finalised at McLaren’s state-of-the-art Technology Centre near Woking yesterday [18^th December].

Devised to develop the next generation of GT stars, Dorlin was assessed for the programme through formal interviews, fitness monitoring, engineering knowledge, data analysis and various driving exercises.

As well as his racing programme, it will also give him additional guidance in PR, marketing and sponsorship as well as fitness, nutrition, data and telemetry and contract management.

“I’m really excited to be part of the DDP,” commented James.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to progress my career and to be doing so with McLaren is a real privilege.

“2019 is sure to be a massive learning curve but I’m confident we will be achieving some very strong results from day one.

“I’m looking forward to starting what will hopefully be a long, successful journey with McLaren Automotive.”